Watch: Jacoby Ellsbury steals home, ties game 3-3

After going 3-for-5 in a loss to Oakland on Thursday, Ellsbury was given Friday off with left-hander Matt Moore on the bump. When he was forced into action in the fifth inning after an apparent Aaron Hicks injury, Ellsbury efforted a tying run with a single to left, and a steal of home.

With Brett Gardner batting in a 3-2 count, Ellsbury took off from third, surprising Moore and catcher Curt Casali, to record the Yankees’ third run.

It was the first straight steal of home by a Yankee since Derek Jeter in 2001, and the first steal of home of any kind since Chris Young did it as part of a double steal in Sept. 2014.

The risk here was great for Ellsbury. Gardner had already been awarded first base on a walk, and Ellsbury would have ended the inning with an out at home if he were caught. It was a big gamble, and one that surely paid off.

He’s done this once before, against the Yankees in 2009, but it wasn’t nearly as hard. Andy Pettitte threw a speed that lacked some power toward the plate on that play, whereas Moore was throwing full speed on Friday.